Supporting structure



w. L. MU R|AY 3,144,842

Aug. 18, 1964 SUPPORTING STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 3, 1961 lNl/E/VI'OI?WILL/AM L. MURRAY United States Patent cc 3,144,842 SUPPORTING STRUCTUREWilliam L. Murray, Duluth, Minn., assignor to United States SteelCorporation, a corporation of New Jersey Filed Oct. 3, 1961, Ser. No.142,733 6 Claims. (Cl. 110--99) This invention relates to a supportingstructure and more particularly to a structure for supporting arefractory roof beam. Various types of supports have been used forsupporting roof beams, but those of which I have knowledge have variousdisadvantages. The basic roofs of open hearth furnaces are normally inthe form of an arch and require a great number of beams which are usedto both hold down the roof and also support the roof. These beams runtransversely to the span of the arch and hence cannot be arranged withtheir flanges horizontal, but instead the lower flange of each beam isarranged at an angle substantially that of the top of the roof.Difiiculty is encountered in aligning the beam support and the beam. Thetime required to place the supports in position is also excessive.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a supportingstructure for a beam which is simple in construction and easy toinstall.

Another object is to provide a supporting structure for a sprungrefractory brick arch which is easy to assemble and which provides asolid support.

These and other objects will be more apparent after referring to thefollowing specification and attached drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partial plan view of an open hearth roof showing thesupporting structure;

FIGURE 2 is a view taken on the line IIII of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a view taken on the line III-III of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a View taken on the line lV-IV of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of FIG- URE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a view taken on the line VI--VI of FIG- URE 4; and

FIGURE 7 is an enlarged view of a detail.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, reference numeral 2indicates front buckstays and reference numeral 4 the back buckstays ofan open hearth furnace. A refractory brick sprung arch 6 extends betweenthe front and back buckstays and is supported by skewbacks 8 and 10 inthe usual manner. A plurality of horizontal beams 12 arranged in pairswith their flanges facing each other extend between and are supported bythe buckstays 2 and 4. A plurality of generally horizontal webs 14extend between and are supported by the webs of beams 12. Each of thewebs 14 has a hole 16 therein for receiving a hold down rod 18 which isthreaded at its upper end for receiving nuts 20, one on each side of theweb 14. The lower end 22 of the rod 18 is unthreaded and has a generallyhorizontal notch 24 therein. A plurality of spaced apart I-beams 26 arearranged transversely to the beams 12 with their lower flanges bearingagainst the upper surface of the arc 6 and their upper flangessupporting bent beams 28 which extend in the direction of the span ofthe arch. Associated with each of the rods 18 is a clamp body 30 havinga base 32 with hook end portions 34 for receiving the top flange of theassociated beam 26. A hollow neck 36 extends upwardly from the base 32for receiving the lower end of the associated rod 18. A transverseopening 38 provided in the neck 36 is adapted to be aligned with thenotch 24 so as to receive a wedge 40. The bricks in the arch may besupported 3,144,842 Patented Aug. 18, 1964 from the beams 28 by means ofhook rods 42 in the usual manner.

In assembly, the rods 18 are passed through the associated hole 16 fromthe lower side thereof with a nut 20 being threaded thereon. The hookend portions 34 of the clamp body 30 are passed over the upper flangesof the beams 26 and can be easily moved to the desired position. Thelower end 22 of the associated rod 18 is passed into the hollow neck 36of the associated clamp body 30 and the notch 24 aligned with theopening 38. The wedge 40 is then positioned so as to hold the assemblytogether. An upper nut 20 is threaded on the rod 18 and the rod 18 islocked in place in the desired position. Thus, the beams 26 can bepositioned to prevent any upward movement of the arch or to control thelimit of upward movement if desired. If, for any reason, it is desiredto change the vertical position of the beams 26 during operation of thefurnace it can readily be done by changing the position of the nuts 20.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications may be madewithout departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for supporting a beam having a web with a flange extendingin both directions from the upper end of the web comprising a clamp bodyhaving a base with hook end portions for receiving the said flange andan upwardly extending hollow neck, said neck having a transverse openingtherethrough, a rod receivable in said hollow neck having a notchtherein adapted to be aligned with said transverse opening, a wedgereceivable in said transverse opening and notch, and means forsupporting the upper end of said rod.

2. Apparatus for supporting a beam having a web With a flange extendingin both directions from the upper end of the web comprising an uppersupport, a clamp body having a base with hook end portions for receivingthe said flange and an upwardly extending hollow neck, said neck havinga transverse opening therethrough, a rod having an upper threadedportion and a lower portion receivable in said hollow neck, said lowerportion having a notch therein adapted to be aligned with saidtransverse opening, a wedge receivable in said transverse opening andnotch, and means for supporting the upper end of said rod on said uppersupport.

3. A supporting structure for a sprung refractory brick arch comprisinggenerally vertical buckstays for supporting the ends of the arch,horizontal beams extending in the direction of the span of the arch andsupported by said buckstays at opposite ends of the arch, a plurality offlanged beams extending transversely of said horizontal beams andlocated therebeneath, the lower flange of each of said flanged beamsbearing on top of said arch, a plurality of clamp bodies for each ofsaid plurality of beams, each clamp body having a base with hook endportions for receiving the upper flange of the associated flanged beamand an upwardly extending hollow neck, said neck having a transverseopening therethrough, a rod receivable in said hollow neck having anotch therein adapted to be aligned with said transverse opening, awedge receivable in said transverse opening and notch, and means forsupporting the upper end of each rod on the associated horizontal beam.

4. A supporting structure for a sprung refractory brick arch comprisinggenerally vertical buckstays for supporting the ends of the arch,horizontal beams extending in the direction of the span of the arch andsupported by said buckstays at opposite ends of the arch, a plurality offlanged beams extending transversely of said horizontal beams andlocated therebeneath, the lower flange of each of said flanged beamsbearing on top of said arch, a plurality of clamp bodies for each ofsaid plurality of beams, each clamp body having a base with book endportions for receiving the upper flange of the associated flanged beam,and an upwardly extending hollow neck, said neck having a transverseopening therethrough, a rod having an upper threaded portion and a lowerportion receivable in said hollow neck, said lower portion having anotch therein adapted to be aligned with said transverse opening, awedge receivable in said transverse opening and notch, transversesupports on said horizontal beams for receiving the upper ends of saidrods, means for adjustably supporting each of said rods on theassociated transverse support, a plurality of spaced apart bent beamsextending in the direction of the span of the arch and resting on saidflanged beams, and means extending between said bent beams and the archbricks for supporting said bricks.

5. A supporting structure for a sprung refractory brick arch comprisinggenerally vertical bucltstays for supporting the ends of the arch, aplurality of pairs of horizontal beams extending in the direction of thespan of the arch and supported by said bucks'tays at opposite ends ofthe arch, said horizontal beams having vertical webs, a plurality offlanged beams extending transversely of said horizontal beams andlocated therebeneath, the lower flange of each of said flanged beamsbearing On top of said arch, a plurality of clamp bodies for each ofsaid plurality of beams, each clamp body having a base with hook endportions for receiving the upper flange of the associated flanged beamand an upwardly extending hollow neck, said neck having a transverseopening therethrough, a rod receivable in said hollow neck having anotch therein adapted to be aligned with said transverse opening, awedge receivable in said transverse opening and notch, an upper threadedportion on said rod, a plurality of plates fastened to and extendingbetween and secured to the webs of said pairs of horizontal beams,

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS324,929 Finnegan Aug. 25, 1885 1,132,999 Beers Mar. 23, 1915 1,230,441Stevens June 19, 1917 1,794,381 Hosbein Mar. 3, 1931 1,846,178 BergrenFeb. 23, 1932 3,005,424 Heuer Oct. 24, 1961

3. A SUPPORTING STRUCTURE FOR A SPRUNG REFRACTORY BRICK ARCH COMPRISINGGENERALLY VERTICAL BUCKSTAYS FOR SUPPORTING THE ENDS OF THE ARCH,HORIZONTAL BEAMS EXTENDING IN THE DIRECTION OF THE SPAN OF THE ARCH ANDSUPPORTED BY SAID BUCKSTAYS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE ARCH, A PLURALITY OFFLANGED BEAMS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID HORIZONTAL BEAMS ANDLOCATED THEREBENEATH, THE LOWER FLANGE OF EACH OF SAID FLANGED BEAMSBEARING ON TOP OF SAID ARCH, A PLURALITY OF CLAMP BODIES FOR EACH OFSAID PLURALITY OF BEAMS, EACH CLAMP BODY HAVING A BASE WITH HOOK ENDPORTIONS FOR RECEIVING THE UPPER FLANGE OF THE ASSOCIATED FLANGED BEAMAND AN UPWARDLY EXTENDING HOLLOW NECK, SAID NECK HAVING A TRANSVERSEOPENING THERETHROUGH, A ROD RECEIVABLE IN SAID HOLLOW NECK HAVING ANOTCH THEREIN ADAPTED TO BE ALIGNED WITH SAID TRANSVERSE OPENING, AWEDGE RECEIVABLE IN SAID TRANSVERSE OPENING AND NOTCH, AND MEANS FORSUPPORTING THE UPPER END OF EACH ROD ON THE ASSOCIATED HORIZONTAL BEAM.